'Class Act': Mike Rowe Lauded Over Smooth Handling of CNN Reporter's 'Gotcha' Games

Lost in the shuffle of the media frenzy over independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirming Tuesday that former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers were on his vice presidential "shortlist" was that TV host and social commentator Mike Rowe was also among the contenders.

Rowe himself confirmed as much in a tweet posted Wednesday:

Boarding a flight at DFW. Just saw this on a monitor. Airports are funny places… pic.twitter.com/wcszlmEvrK
— The Real Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) March 13, 2024

As RedState has often documented, Rowe is an intensely likable, pro-America guy whose sincerity and common sense nature come across in everything he says and does.

READ: Mike Rowe Says Biden's Inflation Reduction Act Might Just Be 'Another Pie in the Face' of America

Those qualities in Rowe shined through during an interview he did Thursday on CNN, where the network's "Outfront" anchor Erin Burnett had him on to discuss the RFK Jr. news:

“Yeah, he called. Actually, I ran into him about six months ago in Dallas, totally serendipitously, and we exchanged information and he reached out about a month ago,” the Emmy Award-winning host told CNN on Thursday.
Rowe said he and Kennedy “had a meeting” and spoke about his foundation, mikeroweWORKS, and about vocational training.
“At some point, he asked me if I would ever consider running for public office, and I spit my coffee back into my cup and I said, ‘Seriously?'” Rowe went on, noting they had a “serious conversation” that was “gratifying.”

But it became clear very early on, after he talked about how both he and Kennedy had a respectful discussion, that Burnett didn't want to just interview Rowe; she wanted to play "gotcha" and try to paint him into a corner over Kennedy's more talked-about views. When Rowe wouldn't let her, she switched gears and asked him for his thoughts on CNN's conveniently timed hit piece on Aaron Rodgers.

Again, Rowe wouldn't take the bait, something that was obvious in the frustration seen on Burnett's face as he talked.

Watch:

I have to say that Mike Rowe is a real class act. @CNN tried desperately to drag him into childish divisive discourse, and he stayed above it. He handled this interview like a real adult, and that's not something you see very much these days in US politics.#Kennedy24 pic.twitter.com/RMXtRIOGc2
— Gregory Latham Jr (@B7grWinning) March 15, 2024

You can read the full transcript here.

What I liked most about the interview besides Rowe not taking the bait was how he didn't accept the premise of everything that was asked, like on the "qualifications for president/VP" question.

You'd probably find stupid stuff that anybody has said. But what really qualifies a man or woman to run for president or vice president, I think you got to be 35. I think you need to have been born in this country. After that, I don't know about qualifications. I guess we could talk experience and judgment and temperament and all of those other things and everybody gets to weigh and measure everybody and put it all under a microscope and decide.

He also said he wasn't going to judge Aaron Rodgers because he had no idea what Rodgers allegedly did and did not say.

In my view, this is exactly how you handle gotcha games and attempts at sensationalism from so-called reporters. I mean, why is Mike Rowe's opinion on Aaron Rodgers relevant? And why not ask him his viewpoint on other issues other than the "controversial" ones the left-wing media constantly want to harp on?

Kudos to Rowe for, as usual, keeping it cool and light and not allowing the interview to veer off course. He wouldn't say if he was Kennedy's veep pick or not, but we'll find out on March 26th, which is when the candidate said he'll announce it, and which is when we are also likely to see more squirming from panicked Biden Democrats.